Thread support having a fixed cutter



July 27, 1965 B. BATES ETA]. 3,197,102

THREAD SUPPORT HAVING A FIXED CUTTER Filed Sept. 9, 1964 INVENTORS CECELIA FOX ESERN1CE BATES ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,197,102 THREAD SUPPORT HAVING A FIXED CUTTER Bernice Bates, 2287 N. Lake Drive, Milwaukee, Wis., and Cecelia Fox, 112 W. State St., Scottville, Mich. Filed Sept. 9, 1964, Ser. No. 395,211 1 Claim. (Cl. 225-58) Our invention relates to thread supports, and more particularly to a device to retain thread in alignment on a conventional spool.

The prime object of our invention is to provide a device that retains the thread on the spool without the danger of it becoming disarranged.

Another object of our invention is to provide a device of the character described, that retains the thread in a position to permit it to be easily unwound from the spool and cut to any predetermined length.

Still another object is to provide a device, that is constructed of resilient material, to permit it to frictionally engage the outer periphery or surface of the thread on the spool, at all times.

A still further object of our invention is to provide a device that fits the outer peripheral surface of the thread wound on a conventional spool, one that may be retained on the spool for convenience in storing, and affording portability for use when sewing by hand, or with a conventional sewing machine.

It is manifest to anyone familiar with the use of thread normally wound, or applied to a conventional spool, that after a predetermined amount of thread has been torn from the spool, that the end of the thread has a tendency to project therefrom and become tangled with the ends of other threads disposed on spools within the sewing container, or sewing basket, and it is the prime object of our invention to prevent this undesirable inconvenience.

The device illustrated, described, and claimed herein is applied to the spool of thread. It is constructed of resiliently formed sheet material, such as metal, plastic or the like. It may even be transparent material to show the color of the thread disposed on the spool, and by radial movement, the end of the thread is brought outward for use. The sharp edge acts as a shear for cutting the thread, as do the notches disposed along the cutting edge.

The device is simple in construction, is an integral unit without moving parts, and may be manipulated without any special skill. The construction is such as to enable it to be manufactured economically.

Other and further objects of our invention will become more apparent as the description proceeds, when taken in conjunction with the drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a spool of thread having the device equipped with two cutting edges disposed thereon;

FIGURE 2 is a similar view as shown in FIG. 1, in which the device has one cutting edge and the other edge radially disposed;

FIGURE 3 is a fronttview of the device shown in FIG. 1;

FIGURE 4 is an end view of the device shown in FIG 3;

FIGURE 5 is a front view of the device similar to the one shown in FIG. 1, but having the cutting edges serrated;

FIGURE 6 is an end view of the device shown in FIG. 5;

FIGURE 7 is a front view of the device shown in FIG. 2, with one sharp cutting edge, and the other edge rounded;

FIGURE 8 is an end view of the device shown in FIG. 7;

FIGURE 9 is a front view of another modified form, in which both edges of the device are radially formed;

FIGURE 10 is an end view of the device shown in FIG. 9;

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FIGURE 11 is a front view of another modified form of the device, having two radially formed edges, each of which is shown equipped with a V groove for cutting the thread; and

FIGURE 12 is a cross-sectional view of the device as shown in FIG. 11, taken at the line 12-12 therein.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and referring now to the same, the character 20, shows the body of the device constituting our invention. It may be constructed of pliable resilient smooth sheet material, such as metal, or plastic. It may be transparent plastic to afford visibility of the color of the thread disposed on a spool having a cylindrical drum portion. The thread is contacted on its outer periphery by the smooth surface of the body 20.

Obviously the material is resilient enough to permit the thread 21 (see FIGS. 1 and 2), mounted on the spool 22, to revolve with the spool 22, when the end of the thread shown as 23 is pulled.

The body 20, may beconstructed in various ways, so that there will be two cutting edges 24 (see FIG. 1), or one cutting edge 24, and the other edge 25 radially formed for ease in revolving the body 20 rotatively over the surface of the thread 21.

In FIGS. 5 and 6,- we show the cutting edges 26 serrated and equipped with a plurality of teeth, while in FIGS. 9 and 10, we show the both edges 25 radially formed in which case the thread has to be torn instead of being cut.

Still another modified form is shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, in which both radially formed edges are provided with a V groove shown as 27 cutting the thread end 23. Ohviously either one or both edges 25 may be provided with the groove 27.

From the above description it will become manifest that the body 20 is designed to frictionally contact the thread 21 on the spool 22, and when the end of the thread shown as 23 is pulled, the threaded spool will be caused to revolve within the body 20, and be placed in a position where the end of the thread pulled out to any predetermined length may be cut by the straight edge 24, the serrated edge 26, or the V groove 27, and after the thread is cut, the end will be kept encased within the body 20, without any projection.

Although we have shown and described the device constituting our invention, we are fully cognizant of the fact that many changes may be made without affecting the operativeness of the device, and we reserve the right to make such changes as we deem convenient without departing from the spirit of our invention, or the scope of the claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent in the United States A thread support to retain thread in alignment on a conventional spool comprising:

an arcuately formed body made of a pliable resilient material to fit around a spool of thread, said body having ends that are spaced apart a suitable distance for permitting thread to be passed therebetween and become unraveled from said spool when said arcuately formed body is positioned around said spool, said body being suitably sized to enable said spool to be rotated with respect thereto, at least one of said ends having a cutting edge to sever the unraveled thread, at least one of said ends being bent radially from a portion of said body contiguously positioned over said thread, said radially bent end extending away from the opposite end and toward the outside surface of said body, said radially bent end permitting said thread support to easily pass over said thread of said spool and providing a supporting surface for said unraveled thread that extends substantially the full length of said spool to substantially maintain the thread pulling pressure equal at any point along said spool, said thread being unraveled from said spool by pulling said thread and having said spool rotate While said thread support remains stationary to retain the thread intact on said spool;

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 90,155 5/69 Dalby 225-58 4 1,524,463 3,070,273 12/62 Warp 225-58 FOREIGN PATENTS 21,553 11/93 Great Britain.

WILLIAM w. DYER, m, Primary Examiner.

DONALD F. MAXSON, Examiner.

1/25 Webb 225-58 

